Table Games Best table games to relax on a low budget?

Sorry if there was a thread before on that subject: i did not find it.

I do not have a big gambling bankroll when going to Vegas. For example, this year, I had a roll of around 150$/day. I am ready to lose that money ("never gamble what you cannot afford to lose"), but I would also like to have a long time at the tables : play for many hours, have a lot of free beers and overall have a good time. I play mostly on the Strip (my wife love it).

I already played some pai gow poker and I loved the low variance of this game. I also tried the Craps machine ("Shoot to win") and loved it. I did not try blackjack yet (I know basic strategy) : all those posts about players being angry at other players' actions are not really encouraging me to play hehe. But it might change next year.

Other suggestions? How about all those "new" games, like Ultimate Texas Holdem, Texas Holdem Bonus, Mississippi Stud or 3 Cards Poker? Everytime I play those games on a free website, the swings seems to be huge but I might be just unlucky...

So... Which table games would be great for having a long, fun time on a low budget?

Cheers

 

I believe it would be pai gow which youbhave played. At that budget stay away from the carney games like 3 card poker, let it ride, etc. If yiu play $5 bj by the book, that might be ok also.

 

If you have the willpower to just make a $5 Pass Line bet at craps you can make that last a long while plus get to throw the dice just the same as someone else betting big.

 

I would have to agree with others...pai gow, pass line on craps, maybe an even money bet on roulette.

I play mostly Ultimate Texas Holdem and yes, the variance is huge for this game. I would avoid Mississippi Stud at all costs if you are trying to conserve your money. That game will rape you broke and then charge you more for the unhappy ending.

 

Pretty much already covered, but PaiGow, $5BJ, Pass Line at craps. One thing I'd add though is on any game you play, try to find a full/nearly full table. The game will move a lot slower and allow you to play for a longer time.

 

Yeah, as others have said, you'll want to stick to the "classic" games.

I've done the math on "Ultimate Texas Holdem" and the variance of that for the $5 ante level (usually the lowest limit available) is actually worse than the average $1/$2 no-limit player in the poker room. And Mississippi Stud has the worst variance of all table games and a bad house edge too at almost 5%...and is graphically described by sindustry above.

Finding $5 anything for the "classic" games will generally be your friend, one exception is if BJ pays 6:5, then I would try to find a 3:2 game at $10 if possible before playing that. Pass line/don't pass only (and no come bets either!) with little to no odds...yes, you heard me. Adding odds doesn't change your expected loss, but it does jack up your variance, which you really don't want. Your ideal game is still Pai Gow Poker I think as long as you don't play the bonus bets. Usually can play for $10, lowish house edge, game is slow for a full table, you push half the time. All these things you want.

And stackinchips makes a good point. The more crowded a table is, the better.

 

$100 at a $5 pai gow table will last you all day. You could easily out drink your losses.

 

Casino War would be good if you can find a table

 

For $5, absolutely! But the game needs to be somewhat full because the game is quick...and there is the "boredom" factor. But the variance on a per hand basis is really low. On the CET Table Game Finder, they say Bally's, Harrah's, Paris, PHo, and Rio still have it.

 

sigma derby?

sorry- guess that's not a table game

 

Good question!

Definitely not 3-card poker. That game can be addictive, especially if you get a couple of good hands early. But it can also destroy your bankroll. I let myself lose $100 per TRIP at this game.

I'd recommend finding a $5 Let It Ride table, one that's full or nearly so. I find that a very social game, and fairly slow-moving. House edge is a little over 3% with proper strategy. Do not bet either of the bonus side bets. You'll get a lot of grief about this, but stand firm. The 3-card bonus bet has the same odds as 3-card poker's "pairs plus" bet, which I believe is about a 7% house edge. Do not play the bonus side bets if you're trying to extend your bankroll. Yes, you may get dealt a straight flush, and you'll be told that you just lost $200. It happens to me every trip. But most of the time you don't win.

I usually buy in for $100. Sometimes I can play for hours on that. If I lose $50 I take a break, walk around for awhile, and try again.

But if you know perfect basic strategy, don't be shy about playing blackjack. I recommend the $5 game at Ellis Island. Just sit at first base if you're worried about people criticizing your play. And if you're playing perfect basic strategy, at some point you'll make the right play and someone will say you are not... maybe even the dealer!

 

Well it is shaped like a table. And with $150 you could practically be a baller at that game!

 

It's with the Rapid roulette pit in Bally's. A tall blond with a heavy southern accent named Kat is usually dealing it weekdays. I've had her deal UTH and she's awesome in how friendly she is.

 

Eh may be just as entertaining though. I get the impression a social time is important, and I assume this game generally has it. I keep meaning to get to MGM or the D to play this. And fits the bill for the bankroll as long as he doesn't bet tons of quarters at a time on the 200 to 1 longshot. :evillaugh

 

Hi!

Thanks for those suggestions, you are very generous with your help.

Pai Gow Poker: Very low variance, as many people said. I should try however to stay away from the bonus bets, as Tringlomane said. When I bet on them (roughly 10% of the time), I always lost lol. I hate it when a dealer insist i should make a bonus bet : I will play the game as I intend to, thank you.

NickyDim mentionned 5$ Pai Gow Poker : is there a place on the Strip offering that (or at which hour)?

Blackjack: Yeah, I should find 5$ or 10$ 3:2 tables and give it a try. Gradytripp said to sit at first base : what is that?

Craps and Roulette : Roulette might be a good idea if I do not spread my money too much. Craps "pass line bet only" is also a good idea, but I lack the discipline to stay away from the other bets (mostly place 6 and 8 and also pass line odds), so I often have too much money in action compared to my roll, even on a 5$ table. I like the 3$ "Shoot to win" machine for that reason hehe.

Casino War : Oh, I thought it was a money trap! I should give it a try sometimes, especially since Bally's (my favorite hotel) has often sexy dealers on that game.

Sigma Derby : I had to google it. My gosh, I did not know this game was still alive! I have to find it on my next trip!

Carney games : I think that if you do not hit a big hand or bonus bet now and then during a session of Carney game, you will lose all your money pretty fast. Gradytripp mentionned Let It Ride : I might try it (I learned the strategy) if I wish to change the pace of my gambling...

Too bad those Carney games are so high variance : I like to play them sometimes, but I always feel it's like slot machines : money is being drained steadily, but some rare big wins give you back some of that money.


Speaking of machines... What about Video Poker (let's say Jack or Better and Bonus Poker)? Is a 100-150$ buy-in enough to get some hours of action on the Strip?

 

I know you said table games but with that bankroll Video Poker would be perfect.
My wife plays the 100 play for hours on $20 and you will actually accumulate comps if you play all day.
Hard for that to happen at any $5 table.

 

'First base' is the very first seat, far right, (dealers left) and is the first player to get cards and decide whether to hit, stand, double or split.

Since your wife loves the strip, I suggest hitting Gold Coast...right next door to the Rio. They have a great $5 two-deck game - 3:2, H17, DAS.
Two deck will give you far more playing time than any shoe or CSM.
Just remember - in 2-deck, you handle your cards (one hand only & don't bend them!) You signal 'hit' by lightly scratching your cards on the table. You signal 'stand' by tucking your cards face-down under your bet. You turn your cards face-up on the table if you bust.
If you're doubling or splitting, turn your cards face up on the table & you play it like a shoe game for split-hands (hand-signals).

$150 at this game, with near-perfect basic strategy, will last you quite a long time, so long as you're flat-betting $5 & you avoid the 'Lucky Ladies' bet.

Good luck!

 

Since video poker is quite high variance...to guarantee several hours, you'll need to mostly play 1-play nickels (or roughly 5-play pennies), for 5 or 6 credits per line, which unfortunately tend to pay not so hot on the Strip. One of the best games to my knowledge is 7/5 Bonus w/Super Times Pay (98.29% for a 6 credit bet) for nickels, dimes, or quarters at Planet Hollywood. The game itself is a multiline game, but you don't have to bet all the lines to make the maximum bet of 6 credits if you use the touch screen. If you only bet one hand of nickels ($0.30/hand with STP), $150 will last a long, long time. If you play the 3-lines, which the game will want you to play by max bet default, it won't last nearly as long. But big wins can happen in this game for small bets, last year I won $62.50 on a $0.30 bet at the IP (Quad) since I got quad 8s with a 10X multiplier. I would play at PHo though now because of the better paytable. And then 2 days later I hit this at Flamingo for $240 with $0.36 on the line playing 6/5 Bonus (97.13% w/STP). Still my only royal (and biggest hit) in Vegas...

For the amount I'm wagering in the picture (or less), right? Otherwise, she is likely funding herself more, or she is the luckiest VP player I know. I've easily burned a nice portion of that dealt royal back into the machine on future trips betting the same per round. I did win playing it while meeting Mitkraft though!

 

As Tringlomane said, I guess she is playing penny or dimes machines? I did not know those machines existed, I thought quarters+ was the norm. Interesting. Thanks for the tip.

Thanks! It always bothered me when reading blackjack thread.

Thanks for the casino suggestion: I am always trying to convince my wife to get out of the Strip for a few hours or days and to go where food and gambling cost less. And a even bigger thank you for the hand signals! I only play online Blackjack and I am sure I will be really nervous when I will sit down at a table for the first time.

Ok, I suppose the usual quarters machine would drain my roll quickly then. Thank you for all those valuable information, I will give it a try (hoping those penny and dime machines are still there next year hehe).

And congrats for your wins!

 

Thanks!

Quarters will last a little while, and is the most common denomination...but it's commonplace to bet 5 credits to max the royal flush payout so you're betting $1.25/hand. But if you run bad, it's possible you can drop $100 within an hour on a 5-quarter bet. I figured this was unacceptable to you as I thought you hoped to last a few hours mininum on $150.

Single line nickels or dimes are a rare find, especially on the strip. But when you play any "Super Times Pay" machine or a 50/100 play machine, it's a multiline game that lets you play whatever lines you want for any amount of credits you want. So like in that picture shown, you can build your own penny machine for as many lines/credits per line you want! Just don't hit the "Max Bet" button on accident unless youre gonna get that dealt Royal! Also 6 cents a hand for 6 hands will last you forever on $150. You can probably up it a bit and still last a few hours. What's nice about the Flamingo 50/100 Play units is it has a nice view of the "Pleasure Pit" and the dancer there on the weekends from about 10p-1a. It's why I told Mitkraft to meet me there. :evillaugh